1. Technical Field
This invention relates to oil filter systems of the type accommodated within an oil pan, such as the transmission oil pan of a vehicle.
2. Related Art
It is common to locate the transmission oil filter for vehicles within the transmission oil pans. Replaceable-type filter modules are known. Such filter modules are typically used in combination with a conventional-type oil pan, made of plastic or metal, which is formed with a drain hole to allow for the drainage of the oil from the pan. The drain hole is typically threaded to receive a conventional drain plug. The oil drain system is separate from the filtration system. In such case, the manufacturer of oil pans is required to take additional steps in the manufacture of pans to accommodate the threaded drain plug.
It is an object of the present invention to filter/drain simply the manufacture of the overall system.
An oil pan module constructed according to the invention comprises an oil pan having a floor formed with a drain hole and side walls extending from the floor to provide a space for holding oil. A filter assembly is provided and includes a filter housing disposed in the space of the oil pan. A drain tube extends from the housing through the drain hole in the floor of the pan to a free end exterior to the oil pan. The drain tube has an interior drain passage formed with an oil inlet communicating with the space of the oil pan for admitting oil into the drain passage from the oil pan. The drain tube has an oil outlet adjacent the free end. A drain plug selectively closes the interior drain passage to block the oil from passing through the oil outlet when the drain plug is in a first closed position, and is movable to an open position for opening the interior drain passage to permit the oil to drain from the oil pan through the oil outlet of the drain tube.
The invention has the advantage of greatly simplifying the manufacture of oil pan modules, including simplifying the manufacture of the oil pan. Particularly, with the invention, there is no longer a need to perform additional operations on the basic oil pan in order to provided a threaded opening to accommodate a drain plug. A simple punched or bore drain hole opening is all that is needed. According to the invention, the draining features are formed as part of the filter assembly in the form of a drain tube which projects through the opening in the oil pan. In addition to providing selective drainage of the oil, the drain tube further has the advantage of providing support to the filter housing by acting, effectively, as a leg to locate and support the housing relative to the oil pan.
Incorporating the oil drain features as part of the filter assembly thus simplifies the manufacture of oil pans and provides for support and location of the filter assembly relative to the oil pan in a cost-effective manner.